Vatican City – This evening, Bishop Erik Varden delivered the seventh meditation of the Lenten spiritual exercises to the Pope, the Cardinals, and the Heads of Dicasteries. The exercises, which began on Sunday and will conclude on Friday afternoon, are being held in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace. They follow the central theme: "Illuminated by a Hidden Glory", a journey of reflection and prayer inviting participants to discover the divine light concealed within the folds of human existence.
Today’s Programme
The day unfolded in two main moments. This morning, at 9:00 a.m., the Hour of Terce was celebrated, followed by the meditation titled "A Thousand Shall Fall". In the afternoon, at 5:00 p.m., a second meditation was offered, titled "I Shall Glorify Him", which was followed by Eucharistic Adoration and the singing of Vespers.
"I Shall Glorify Him"
The afternoon meditation focused on the mystery of Christ’s glorification, a theme that lies at the heart of the Gospel message. Varden reflected on the Gospel episode where many disciples abandoned Jesus, unable to accept his teachings on sacramental realism, the indissolubility of marriage, and the necessity of the Cross. This abandonment culminated in the solitude of Calvary, where only two figures remained by the crucified Christ: Mary, his Mother, and John, the Beloved Disciple.
Drawing on the Gospel of John, Varden highlighted the kenosis of Jesus, his total self-emptying, which unfolds on two levels: the divine, compassionate love crushed in the wine-press of the Cross, and the betrayal of human loyalties, as the disciples, despite their promises of fidelity, locked themselves away in fear. Yet, John insists that this scene of desolation reveals Christ’s glory.
Hidden Glory: A Hope That Illuminates
The meditation delved into the concept of "hidden glory", a reality that, though veiled, is already perceptible in the present life. Bernard, a companion chosen by Bishop Varden for these exercises, reminds us that glorification occurs "in the presence of God’s face" when, at the end of our earthly journey, we finally behold what we have firmly hoped for in this life, placing our trust in Jesus’s name: "Spes in nomine, res in facie est". This hope, as Augustine explained, already carries the image of glory in an obscure form, destined to be fully revealed as luminous in eternal life. Varden recalled Augustine’s description of this transformation as a process of reform: any deformities caused by misused freedom will be removed, allowing the original beauty, the "forma formosa", to emerge. The glory imprinted on our being can never be lost, Augustine emphasised, but it can be buried under layers of darkness that must be stripped away.
The Church’s Mission: Revealing Hidden Glory
The Church, Varden explained, has the mission of reminding men and women of the hidden glory alive within them. She shows us that the mediocrity and despair of the present, including our own despair over persistent failures, need not be final. God’s plan for us is infinitely beautiful, and through the Mystical Body of Christ, God will grant us the grace and strength we need—if only we ask. The Church manifests the radiance of hidden glory in her saints, who stand as living proof that even illness and degradation can become instruments of Providence, used to fulfil a glorious purpose. The saints demonstrate how God bestows strength on the weak and transforms them into radiant witnesses of holiness.
The Church also channels hidden glory through her sacraments. Every Catholic knows the light that can break forth in the confessional, during an anointing, at an ordination, or in a wedding. Most splendid, and in some ways most veiled, is the glory of the Holy Eucharist. What priest, after celebrating the sacred mysteries, has not felt what a great musician once said about being an instrument in a luminous communication of beauty, healing, and truth: "death would really be no tragedy: [for] the best of that which is at the centre of human life has been seen and lived through," his heart ablaze with glorious wonder?
A Journey Towards Easter
The spiritual exercises will continue tomorrow, following the same schedule: the Hour of Terce and the first meditation in the morning, and the second meditation in the afternoon, accompanied by Eucharistic Adoration and Vespers.
Fr. F.V.
Silere non possum